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SY: And we're talking to Christie Ichikawa. This is the Centenary United Methodist Church in downtown Los Angeles, and my name is Sharon Yamato, and Tani Ikeda is the videographer. So, Christie, tell me, is that your full name, Christie?

CI: I have a Japanese middle name, Akiko.

SY: Akiko. But your mother named you Christie?

CI: Yes, like Agatha.

SY: And how did she get that name?

CI: Well, we used to own a drugstore in Sacramento, and our pharmacist was Leroy Christie. And she had asked him to be the godfather. And so if I were a boy I would have been Leroy, but I'm Christie because I took his last name.

SY: It's unusual, though, and it's spelled "I-E" as opposed to...

CI: Correct.

SY: And you were probably the only one named "Christie" growing up, huh?

CI: I think so. I think if you had Chris, it was Christine, mostly Christine.

SY: Right. So tell me exactly where and when you were born?

CI: I was born in 1928, Sacramento, at Sutters Hospital.

SY: So you were actually born in a hospital?

CI: Yes, uh-huh.

SY: And were you the first child in your family?

CI: I was.

SY: Because in those days, was it common to be born in a hospital, or do you know?

CI: I'm not sure. I know that a lot of people use midwives. But my mother was able to go to the hospital.

SY: That's great. And what date? What was the date of your birth?

CI: April the 4th.

SY: April 4th.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright &copy; 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.